Improvement in lever pawl and ratchet for operating wagon-brakes



J. R. ROBINSON.

LEVER, PAWL, AND RATCHET FOR OPERATING WAGON-BRAKES, &

Patented Jan. 2, '1877.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES N. PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. ROBINSON, OF SHAWNEE MOUND, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN LEVER PAWL AND RATCHET FOR OPERATING WAGON-BRAKES. &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,970, dated January 2, 1877; application filed August 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES RANDOLPH ROB- INSON, ofShawnee Mound,in the county of Henry and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in .Lever and (latch, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a side view of my improved device, part being broken away to show the construction. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention relates to an improvement in that class of devices for operating wagonbrakes in which a two-part jointed lever is employed. The invention relates to the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing, A indicates a curved ratchet-bar attached to the side of a wagon-body, B, and D O the two parts of the brake-lever, which are pivoted together at a point above the ratchet-bar. The upper end of part O of said lever is forked as shown, Fig. 2, the respective arms of the fork being parallel and of such length that they project above the ratchet-bar sufficiently to permit the pivoted attachment of the brake-strap G, the T-shaped pawl E, and the handle part D, of the lever. The lower end of part D has a shoulder and finger, b. A cross-pin, a, engages the shoulder when pressure is applied to part D to throw the brake-lever forward; but when pressure is applied in the opposite direction the finger b engages the arm at of pawl E, overcomes the stress of spring E, and throws the latter out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-bar. Such backward movement is, however, arrested by contact of the finger b with the pivot of strap G. The vibratory movement of part D is therefore limited by dle portion of the lever will act upon the pawl to release it from engagement with the teeth of.a ratchet bar; but

What I claim 1s-- The combination, with the ratchet-bar, of the lever composed of the forked portion 0, the handle portion I), pivoted thereto, and constructed with a shoulder and finger, as described, the T-shaped spring-pawl E, and the brake-strap Gr, pivoted at e, as shown and de scribed, to operate as specified.

JAMES RANDOLPH ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

H. J. RUTHRAUFF, J. H. HALE. 

